Finally, a degree in politics at the University of Malta

It has been dubbed – quite rightly – as the Oxford degree that rules Great Britain. PPE – or politics, philosophy and economics – has been the subject of choice for the Westminster elite and British cabinet ministers across the entire party spectrum, prime ministers included.

But despite a political tradition and parliamentary system inherited from its former colonial master, Malta has consistently lacked graduates trained in politics, with its cadre of leaders often hailing from the legal and medical professions, as well as some architects and economists too.

Now, a course inspired by the British degree – which itself has a history of 100 years at Oxford when it was introduced in 1920 as an alternative to the Classics under the title ‘Modern Greats’ – begins at Malta’s national university.

“It is a rebrand of a course that was previously a diploma, whose target audience were mainly adult learners, mature students, and others from local councils and aspiring politicians,” says Dr Kurt Borg, from the Department of Public Policy. “Now we are widening it, changing its structure and making it particulary appealing to younger learners.”

Kurt Borg

The University of Malta’s Bachelor of Arts in politics and governance will be the first graduate programme in political science, starting with a 101 introduction to political thought, governance, political economy and law, and then moving into a deeper dive into electoral systems, campaigning, activism, leadership, as well as politics in literature and the arts.

For Borg, whose strong foundation in Foucauldian philosophy sits comfortably alongside a scholarly paper on the philosophical aspects of rock band Pearl Jam’s music, the new graduate programme is a must for many Sixth Formers who are seeking to study politics in the wider sense. “This is not merely about those who ‘want to be in politics’ – it is a course for professionals but also for undergraduates who might be seeking opportunities in community initiatives, grassroots activism, youth work, as well as international careers.”

It will be a marked difference from the more specific courses on offer at the University, such as International Relations or European Studies, offering elements of other degree programmes. “It is definitely inspired in terms of its vision and aims from the PPE model, with themes that include history of ideologies, a primer in law in its relation to policymaking, as well as the way economic policies shape society,” Borg says.

And with admission criteria set as a general pass from Sixth Form matriculation, Borg feels the B.A. in politics will attract students who have a wide interest in politics, even while having taken up different subjects. “Even students who have studied sciences or maths, but who have an interest in politics, might find this degree to be their entry point to a career in the public sector, journalism, NGOs and unions, political campaigning and or policy research.”

Maltese politics has been traditionally dominated by members of the legal class. Even as prime ministers, the line-up of Nationalist leaders and prime ministers have all been lawyers; while Labour’s have included a doctor (Boffa), an architect (Mintoff), economists (Sant and Muscat), and two lawyers (Mifsud Bonnici and Abela).

In the 2022 election, the legal profession still dominated the political landscape to the extent that nearly a third of candidates of both major parties were lawyers and notaries. But while the PN has been traditionally associated with the legal class, Labour was fielding 20 lawyers and a notary, as much as the PN’s 22 candidates in the same profession.

Kurt Borg, whose doctorate is in philosophy, has now published a collection of interviews carried out on Campus FM with colleague and Ph.D candidate Robert Farrugia, in Xi Tfisser Tkun Bniedem?. “Our dialogues with academics from many disciplines, engaged on the question of ‘what it means to be a human being’... that is, how do different disciplines, from the fields of literature, or geography, or spirituality grapple with this question?”

Much like his dedication to the Department of Public Policy’s new politics degree, Borg says his collection of interviews, taken from the Campus FM programme, is an attempt to popularise academic talk, but on a different register. “It is an academic discourse, but it is not elitist... we engaged in conversations, hoping to hit that sweet spot between a matter of academic interest and the local context, keeping it popular – though not necessarily populist or patronising.”